Broompark Road

Blantyre's Ain Website

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Family Albums

Forrest – Park

Hi Bill, Please find below a little bit of 1930’s history, for a small part of Broompark Road. The properties concerned are already featured on your web-site.

Aggie Bain, who lived in Bardykes Road, next to the Barnhill Tavern, is seen walking along the crown of Broompark Road.108 Broompark Road, Barnhill, was for a time the home of my Grand-parents Robert and Jeannie Forrest. It was a tenement building which was ultimately condemned by the Local Authority in the early 1930’s. Looking at the frontage, there was a small whitewashed cottage to the left, then two common closes or entries, then two small cottages running along Russell Road, off Broompark Road.

The cottage to the left was occupied by Mrs. Scott, whose son had gone to live in Carmyle, in the close adjacent, at ground floor level, lived the Hunters, and across the close lived the Berry’s who emigrated to Australia. Upstairs, above the Hunters lived the McGovern’s, and across the landing, Mr and Mrs Liddle. In the next close, at ground floor left, lived the Forrest’s from whom I am descended, and across the close lived Mrs Japp. Upstairs on the left, lived the Sommerville’s, with the McDonald’s across the landing. Mr McDonald was known locally as Pigeon Harry as he “kept doos oot the back”. At the right side of the tenement were two cottages along Russell Road, and these were occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, and Pinnie Johnson, who appears on an old postcard, standing at the bottom of Peth Brae. Mr. Kelly was referred to as “blind Boab”

SmiddyAcross the road, was the Smiddy, owned by the Templeton’s, then to the right of the smiddy lived the Cooks, and then the wee farm at 79 Broompark Road, occupied by my Great Great Grandmother Janet Cowie and my Great Great Grandfather Robert Main. Janet was always referred to by the family as Janet Cowie Main.

Hoping your visitors find it of some interest,

Regards,

George Park

p.s. More about the top photo:

Aggie Bain, who lived in Bardykes Road, next to the Barnhill Tavern, is seen walking along the crown of Broompark Road. My Mum, May Forrest was brought up in the tenement number 108 Broompark Road, seen at the right of the picture, before moving to 11 Park Crescent. She was born just along the street at 79 Broompark Road, Blantyre on 8th Sept 1921.

The small building at the end of the the row of cottages on the left is Barnhill Smiddy. The photographer is looking towards Pech Brae.

 Another shot of Broompark Road. A colourised postcard showing a bit more of the Smiddy  Another shot of Broompark Road. A colourised postcard showing a bit more of the Smiddy

All photos and comments in this Album supplied by May Forrest and her son George Park from Arbroath.

~~~

If you have any Photos… Send them to Bill

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland

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